SCMP: Will China’s new laser satellite become the ‘Death Star’ for submarines?
Scientists are working on a device they hope will be able to reveal the location of a target as far as 500 metres below the ocean surface
China is developing a satellite with a powerful laser for anti-submarine warfare that researchers hope will be able to pinpoint a target as far as 500 metres below the surface.
It is the latest addition to the country’s expanding deep-sea surveillance programme, and aside from targeting submarines – most operate at a depth of less than 500 metres – it could also be used to collect data on the world’s oceans.
Project Guanlan, meaning “watching the big waves”, was officially launched in May at the Pilot National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology in Qingdao, Shandong. It aims to strengthen China’s surveillance activities in the world’s oceans, according to the laboratory’s website.
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WNU Editor: If China succeeds in developing this tech, it will change everything when it comes to using submarines as a nuclear deterrent.
5 comments:
Yes and no. US Boomers tend to run quite deep, and with this technology being developed, they will swim even deeper. Our Submarines also should be able to ascend fast and launch fast enough that the second strike capabilities should be kept intact.
And what is the search radius and time @ depth for this beam? Is it capable of tracking a target? how does this satellite orbit and is it maneuverable if so for how long?
We are talking about 1 satellite compared to the ocean. The US had SOSUS and yet Russian subs still were able to find ways around and through it.
Even if you find and track a sub you still have the issue of engaging it. Also can the satellite track/locate more than one sub at a time?
Seems to me I recall our tests on satellite knockdowns using kinetic methods and likely others some time ago. After a few test successes no more articles.
Obviously maritime drones would be employed to keep things hopping. Detection is one thing, destruction is another. How many whales will be killed?
Still, this ability means more costly gadgets by Boeing, Lockeed etc., to counter or overcome this situation. Let us hope defense contractors forget one letter and two numbers when and if we attempt to counter China's counter; F and 35.
Remote sensing using LIDAR from a satellite to find submarines hundreds of meters below the surface? Good luck... the signal to noise doesn't seem to be resolvable with this.
There are some commentators here who know their stuff.
JH
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